A very good friend of ours has created a cocktail too good to pass up. It's so good, she's entered it into a contest, the Mionetto Cocktail contest. And if she wins she'll be headed to NYC to mix it up for the grand prize. This would have been a great cocktail to celebrate Valentine's day, but since we're a day late, how about celebrating that we turn back the clocks and welcome in spring in less than a month?

MIONETINI
Created by Stacey BallisChicago, IL

INGREDIENTS:
1 oz Mionetto Brut1 oz premium vodka
1 oz Elderflower Liqueur
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz pineapple juice
For rim of glass:1 T lemon juice1 T sugar in the raw1 t grains of paradise, ground
For Float:1 T Mionetto Brut

PREPARATION:
Fill shaker with ice, and shake all ingredients well.
Dip rim of martini glass in lemon juice and then in the combined sugar and grains of paradise.
Strain cocktail into glass and float 1 T Mionetto Brut on the top for extra fizz.